Lesson Plan: For Teachers: Create a Writing Seminar

To increase knowledge of the techniques, skills, and processes of writing; to create a seminar to teach others

Summary:

Students will create a seminar about an element of writing processes, skills, or techniques, based on their own experience and on their research of Atwood’s work.

Lesson Plan

Before
Exploring

Ask students to describe the writing process. What
techniques work best for them when they are writing a critical essay? A poem? A
story? How does their writing process differ for each genre?

Outline
the Opportunity

In
small groups, students will explore the topic Margaret Atwood: Queen of CanLit on the CBC Digital Archives
website and record what Margaret Atwood reveals about her techniques, skill,
and processes of writing. Students will use their research as the basis to
create a seminar on writing. Each group will narrow its topic down to a
specific thesis statement which group members will prove in their seminar. Have
each group present their seminars to the class.

Revisit
and Reflect

Have students write a journal reflection that identifies
how their own practices and beliefs about writing have been enriched by this
activity. Encourage them to use their seminars to make inferences about the
writing craft.

Extension

In some
of the clips, Atwood is told that she has a pessimistic view of life, which she
says is merely realistic. She points out that stories that are true to life
"have wolves in them." Students can write the outline for a short story on a
topic of their choice, as long as the story includes a "wolf." Have them share
their outlines with the class and explain what the "wolf' adds to the story.